crime is define as all behaviours and acts for which society

provides formally approved punishments. Written law, both federal and

state, defines which behaviour is criminal and which is not. Some behaviours
—murder, robbery, and burglary—have always been considered criminal.
Other actions, such as domestic violence or driving under the influence of
drugs or alcohol, were only recently added to the list of criminal offenses.
Other changes in our society have also influenced crime. For example, the
widespread use of computers provides new opportunities for white-collar
crime, as well as adding a new word—"cybercrime"—to our vocabulary.

Two main government sources collect crime statistics. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) annually compiles the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). The
UCR collects data from about 17,000 city, county, and state law enforcement
agencies, whose jurisdictions contain approximately 95 percent of the total
U.S. population. TheNational Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), prepared by
the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), bases its findings on an annual survey
of 100,000 people.

Criminal behavior can range from actions as simple as taking chewing gum
from a store without paying to those as tragic and violent as murder. Most
people have broken the law, wittingly or unwittingly, at some time in their
lives.